Wireless local area networks (WLANs) are becoming more widespread as wireless technology continues to become more advanced, and variations of wireless networks may exist. For example, a traditional WLAN might be based on a structured system that includes a base station which communicates with wireless devices and routes traffic between them. Another type of wireless network is an ad-hoc network, in which a wireless device communicates with one or more additional wireless devices in a point-to-point technique where wireless devices dynamically connect to, and disconnect from, the network.
As a combination of the traditional WLAN and ad-hoc network, a mesh network may include user devices, terminals, access points (APs), and base stations, which all function as mesh points (MPs). Mesh networks have been garnering increasing support in the standards community due to characteristics such as low-effort coverage extension for WLANs, low-effort and low-complexity self-deploying WLANs, and for their high fault-tolerance and redundancy.
One characteristic of a mesh network is that MPs within the network may perform various network functions that were traditionally only performed by one particular type of wireless device within a network. As a result, MPs that are not normally utilized for particular functions may become strained by suddenly being expected to perform these additional functions. For example, a wireless device that is not normally expected to perform routing or forwarding from one device to another may experience an excessive drain on its power supply or battery when routing or forwarding from one MP to another, thereby limiting the device's functionality and useful life.
Accordingly, there is a need to control the MPs that participate in the mesh network from both the MP user's and the mesh network operator's perspective, that are not subject to the limitations of conventional methods.